Pulling devices for removing gears, bearings, sprockets, etc. from shafts on which they are mounted are readily available. Such pulling devices typically utilize a pair of oppositely disposed jaws which are received over the outer periphery of the part or component being removed and grip the underside thereof during the removal process. Typically, such pulling devices have a central shaft which moves laterally with respect to the jaws and whose end contacts and rotates against the end of the shaft on which the part or component is mounted. In this manner, a force is applied to the underside of the part or component causing the part or component to move towards the end of the shaft on which it is mounted. Since the central shaft of the pulling device contacts and rotates against the end of the shaft on which the part or component is mounted, the end of the central shaft has a tendency to "walk across" the surface of the end of the shaft on which the part or component is mounted. When this occurs, the orientation of the pulling device becomes skewed with respect to the shaft on which the part or component is mounted causing the pulling device to become disengaged from the part or component being removed.
In view of the foregoing problems associated with presently available pulling devices, it has become desirable to develop a pulling device which securely grips either the outer periphery or the inner periphery of the part or component being removed and which, during the removal process, does not "walk across" the end of the shaft on which the part or component is mounted.